Sound Post in archtop

[thumbpicker]

Wondering if anyone has tried a sound post in their archtop. I was thinking about putting one in my X700. Does it change the tone much and where does it go. I was told it can give you more sustain.

 

[Guilderagain]

Hello Thumbpicker,

I have it on my X-170, and truthfully, I don't have my amp up enough to warrant sustain. As I understand it, the soundpost is used to minimize feedback that is typicall of many hollowbodies. If I may make a suggestion, I would carefully consider holding off putting a soundpost on your X-700 as it would affect the re-sale value. I know for me, this is one of my "wish list guitars" and I would probably steer clear of a modified X-700. Then again, I'm after a clean/jazz sound, so sustain is not high on my list. I have a Fender Stratocaster for that! :wink: Good Luck and enjoy your Guild!

Alex

 

[BluesDan]

Hi Tp,
Some good info here:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7557&p=78816&hilit=soundposts#p78816


about the tone difference when removing a sound post from an x500 from fellow bber Chris Metcalfe that I found very interesting. Are you having problems with feedback? For whatever reason, I have not had any problems with my x-700 with feedback. As for sustain, I have no issues with mine either but I would rather augment with a stompbox that will get the job done rather than mess with installing a slab of wood inside a beauty like yours.

 

[thumbpicker]

Thanks guys,

I think I'll leave well enough alone. The X700 is one heck of a guitar.

 

[Walter Broes]

You could have a luthier fit a soundpost that's held in place by "pressure" like a violin's or a double bass's soundpost. A friend of mine has one of those in a mid-50's Gibson ES295, and it does work to combat feedback, and can be taken out easily without any traces of it ever having been there.

 

[matsickma]

A quick version of the sound post I used was to get a large dowl (i.e., 1 inch diameter-or broom handle) and cut it down to fit under the bridge and the back of the guitar. As Walter indicated just use friction and pressure to keep it place. I made one up for a DeArmond T-400 and it worked well. I didn't spend a lot of time doing it so my cut was a little sloppy and undersized. I added a thin layer of felt to snug it up. The only caution I have is make sure the shape of the dowl and the inside countour of the guitar are close. You wouldn't want to stress the guitar wood from the inside and get a crack in the finish. As a matter of note I plan to add one to an Aristocrat when I get some time.

M

 

[Chris Metcalfe]

Hi all
As Dan points out above, I do have a little experience with guild soundposts. Guild used a slab of hard maple that was maybe1" thick and 3" wide - a big chunk of wood. It was VERY effective in suppressing feedback - and also VERY effective at suppressing acoustic tone. However I think the issue here is that guild used something that was a lot bigger than a conventional soundpost, which as I think Walter pointed out, can just be a thin post or dowel under the bridge. Guild's 'soundpost'' effort was more like a small first step towards a 335, which to my mind slightly defeated the point of the X500 anyway!!

I have also used a small dowel-type post on an old gibson, and found it worked pretty well in increasing sustain without spoiling tone too much. To be honest, though, I took it out after a time, as I realised that a hollow body is , well, meant to be hollow!!! I think that part of the point of the hollow body design is really that the notes aren't meant to sustain too much, as too much sustain masks the beauty of that woody note decay that is part of what an archtop is all about. And as you know, jazzers like to play fast.........!( no disrespect to our blues based colleagues, who also have discovered a real niche for those CE100's etc)
cheers
Chris

 

[Walter Broes]

To be honest, though, I took it out after a time, as I realised that a hollow body is , well, meant to be hollow!!! I think that part of the point of the hollow body design is really that the notes aren't meant to sustain too much, as too much sustain masks the beauty of that woody note decay that is part of what an archtop is all about. And as you know, jazzers like to play fast.........!( no disrespect to our blues based colleagues, who also have discovered a real niche for those CE100's etc)
cheers
Chris

Hey Chris - I agree with everything in your post, and the way us bluesers/Rockabilly players/rootsrockers use archtops is sort of a balancing act - too much volume and the whole thing crashes and gets ugly sounding and feedbacky, but those times you get a good sounding room, just enough volume for the guitar to start interacting with the amp, just on the verge of feedback but not quite - there's nothing like it, nothing as dynamic and responsive as a hollowbody. 8)

 

[Century Bob]

I just installed a soundpost in my x160 this week. I dont notice a difference in sustain. It does add a slight amount of focus to the sound. I does however take the edge off the feedback. It will feedback if really pushed but not as sensitive as before. I used 1/2 stick of maple just under the bridge. A little Elmers glue to hold it but mot so much that it cant be removed.